Lance McCullers got the start for the Houston Astros in the clinching Game 4 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees.
His outing did not go according to plan.
After being hit on the elbow with a champagne bottle following the Astros’ ALDS victory over the Seattle Mariners, there was concern about how McCullers would heal.
McCullers ultimately said that he was fine, but his numbers from Game 4 might say otherwise.
The right-hander allowed four runs, three of them earned over five innings at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.
This afternoon, Astros insider Michael Schwab tweeted a photo of McCullers’ elbow just a few days after he had been hit by the bottle of champagne.
McCullers’ Injury Was Worse Than We Thought
The photo shows that he was hit right near his scar from Tommy John surgery.
Fortunately, there is no structural damage in McCullers’ elbow, but this isn’t exactly a good sign for the Astros heading into the World Series, especially facing a powerful Phillies lineup.
If McCullers is compromised, then that could give the Phillies somewhat of an advantage.
Neither team has set their starting rotation for the series.
One could assume that McCullers would be in line to start either Game 3 or Game 4 of the series.
The Astros can only hope that his elbow is feeling better by then.
It’s not known whether or not it affected him in Game 4 last night, but it did appear to be a painful injury at the very least.
A compromised McCullers would be bad news for the Astros as they fight for their second World Series title.
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